In climates where the weather varies greatly among the seasons of the year, golfing can be made difficult by cold, rainy, or other inclement conditions. Often these conditions are not in themselves prohibitive of playing a successful round of golf, however, provided that the golfers remain comfortably warm and dry during the time intervals between shots.
Most previous attempts for providing a climate-controlled environment for golfers have centered on enclosing or protecting the golf can, it being a means for transportation as well as providing some shelter. One such method is simply the attachment of a canopy over the top of the can to inhibit rain or excessive sunlight from entering the golf cart. Though effective in mild weather aberrations, the canopy is not sufficient to protect golfers from truly poor conditions, which may include blowing rain or cold air.
Another method designed to protect golfers in golf carts includes the use of a large cover of water-repellent, flexible plastic, which is draped over the entire cart in anticipation of poor weather conditions. The cover includes a clear plastic windshield to preserve forward visibility, and a zippered slit in one or both sides to allow for golfers' entry and exit. The limitations of this method, however, are that visibility is substantially reduced because of the nature of the flexible plastic used, access to the cart is made much less convenient because of the need to zipper and unzip the slit opening in the side, and the cover, because of its disadvantages, is preferably removed each time the rain or cold weather conditions subside. In addition the zippers are prone to breakage if the golfer does not completely open the zipper when entering or leaving the golf cart.
The current invention also creates a protected environment for golfers within a golf cart, but offers major improvements on previous methods: the current invention maintains the visibility of the golfers while inside the golf cart and thus preserves the quality of their golfing experience, greatly improves the convenience of getting into and out of the golf cart as well as of removing clubs from the cart, if they are stored inside, and is a durable yet removable means for quickly attaching or removing from the golf can to accomplish these ends.